An ethical placebo from the FDA?

It would appear that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is making serious moves to repair its damaged image -- justifiably damaged, incidentally. But looks can be deceiving. How is $50,000 worth of financial ties defined? Stock? Annual wages? Travel vouchers? In reality, a $10,000 investment could easily turn into six figures if the right drug were approved and put on the market.

Who is going to determine whether an individual's expertise is enough to outweigh potential conflict of interest? After all, some individuals' expertise is deception.